We're a few weeks into the season and though the picture is far from clear, it's starting to come into sharper focus.

While we don't feel the talent at the very top end of this class rivals last year's star-studded crop, Red Line Report is feeling a bit better now that a few kids have already begun to step up to fill in what's looking like a solid top 10 group.

At this point, we're pleased to report that the early season has thus far brought more positive surprises than negative, and we'd like to highlight a few those.

The logical place to start is in Kingston, Ontario, where after several down years, a trio of young draft eligibles finally has the Frontenacs back riding high atop the Ontario Hockey League standings. Hard to say which of them has been the most impressive, but you could make a strong case for Roland McKeown, who has always been known as a terrific skater and offensive force from the back end, but so far has been just as stellar in the defensive zone.

If not McKeown, then Sam Bennett would have to get the nod. His play has been fast, aggressive, and brimming with confidence. He's creating and finishing chances and is looking like he's ready to challenge for top 10 status.

Poor Spencer Watson has almost been relegated to an afterthought behind those two, but he is also off to a fine start.

Elsewhere in the OHL, Oshawa's Michael dal Colle and Jared McCann of the Soo Greyhounds are living up to their promise as former high draft picks in 2012, and both are off to blazing starts.

Perhaps the biggest shocker for Red Line to date was seeing huge American winger Alex Tuch out there dangling in the American Top Prospects Game — almost as though he had real hands and skills! If he continues to play that way at 6-4, 213, NHL clubs will have to check their dental plans because of all those scouts' jaws hitting the floor.

One final name we'd like to throw out there is Russian Maxim Letunov, a rail-thin center who appeared out of nowhere in that noted hockey hotbed of Youngstown, Ohio. He has done nothing but wow our scouts in the Midwest for the past month.

RED LINE REPORT's TOP 10

No.

Player

Pos.

Ht., wt.

Shoots

Date of birth

Team

1

Sam Reinhart

C

6-1, 182

Right

Nov. 6, 1995

Kootenay

2

William Nylander

LW

5-10, 170

Right

May 1, 1996

Sodertalje

3

Aaron Ekblad

D

6-3, 207

Right

Feb. 7, 1996

Barrie

4

Jake Virtanen

LW

6-1, 200

Right

Aug. 17, 1996

Calgary

5

Nikolay Goldobin

RW

5-11, 175

Left

Oct. 7, 1995

Sarnia

6

Nick Ritchie

LW

6-2, 228

Left

Dec. 5, 1995

Peterborough

7

Leon Draisaitl

C

6-1, 198

Left

Oct. 27, 1995

Prince Albert

8

Roland McKeown

D

6-1, 186

Right

Jan. 20, 1996

Kingston

9

Haydn Fleury

D

6-3, 204

Left

July 8, 1996

Red Deer

10

Brycen Martin

D

6-1, 181

Left

May 9, 1996

Swift Current

RISING

Alex Tuch (U.S. National Team Development Program): Wow! The humongous power winger has vastly improved both his skating and puck skills. He is now a major load who goes just about anywhere he damn well pleases on the ice.

Roland McKeown (Kingston): Has spearheaded the rejuvenation of the Frontenacs franchise. Terrific skater is the catalyst of the offence, and is playing near flawless hockey in his own end, too.

Brendan Perlini (Niagara): We didn't see this coming from the big winger, but we sure do like it. Using his big body to bulldoze to the net, and doing damage once he gets there.

Julius Honka (Swift Current): Took, oh… about a nanosecond to adjust to North America. Great puck mover has come out on fire and is unfazed by physical play.

Juho Lammikko (Assat Pori): Was barely a blip on our radar screen two months ago, but has our full attention now.

FALLING

Anton Karlsson (Frolunda): Enigmatic power winger has inexplicably turned selfish and stopped using his linemates. Needs to check his ego and stop trying to do everything on his own.

Collin Shirley (Kootenay): Very disappointing. For a kid with such size and skill, his play has been utterly dull and mostly invisible.

News and notes from around the scouting community

-The Edmonton Oil Kings graduated as much high-end talent as any Canadian Hockey League team this past May, but two draft-eligible players already have unexpectedly stepped into the breach.

Newcomer Aaron Irving originally was a top bantam draft pick who was just beaten out by Dysin Mayo for the final spot on the blue line last year as a 16-year-old. Clearly he used the snub as motivation. After a year spent in the Alberta Junior Hockey League, he has impressed early on with his raw, two-way game.

Offensively he looks very confident making thinks happen with the puck thanks to plus stickhandling skills and shot. He's also not afraid to ramp up the physical play in his own zone despite a slightly underdeveloped frame. He displays good strength on his skates.

The other pleasant surprise is forward Brett Pollock, who managed to make the club last year, but sat on the bench most of the season. Red Line liked him in a very limited energy role last year, as he used his big frame to spark the team with an up-tempo forecheck. But the fact that he has already eclipsed his offensive numbers from last year in this campaign's first four games has drawn our attention. Pollock seems to have come back with a much smoother and improved skating stride, and a new-found confidence in his puckhandling.

-We have been thoroughly impressed with the European talent that has flocked to the Western Hockey League this year. It's easily the deepest crop of Europeans we have seen out west in years. Julius Honka has started the season on fire for Swift Current, plus add Rihards Bukarts with Brandon, Tomas Andrlik of Prince Albert and Radel Fazleev of Calgary who are all legitimate talents. Even Russians Nikita Scherbak of Saskatoon and Alexey Sleptsov of Moose Jaw are worth following.

And none of that takes into account Everett recently having to cut impressive Finnish winger Waltteri Hopponen because of the import numbers game. With Mirco Muller returning from NHL camp and Ivan Nikolishin having a stellar preseason run, the Silvertips were forced to make the tough decision to jettison Hopponen.

Before leaving Everett, Hopponen — who has since found a North American home with Sioux City in the United States Hockey League — proved to be a big, strong kid with a live body who likes to play physically.

-One Boston-area player who is attracting notice in the scouting community is Rivers School defenseman Miles Gendron. The converted center turned heads at the Select 17 Festival this summer and again at the Beantown Summer Classic with his combination of size (6-2) superb skating/mobility, and strong two-way game. Although raw as can be in the defensive zone and lanky with a lot of filling out to do, his eventual ceiling given his natural offensive instincts and quickness is considerable. We're hearing that NHL scouts are quietly zeroing in on him.

Prep players are tougher to peg in the draft pecking order, but at Red Line, we're believers in players who can skate and possess natural hockey sense as Gendron does. He's one to watch and could set himself up for legitimate draft consideration if he's able to prove himself as an effective blue-liner at both ends of the ice.